I still need to get a little more caught up with End of Year stuff before I start writing reviews again (it's really insane how Thanksgiving to Christmas kills me to do anything else whatsoever), but here's some data stuff to look at, if you're interested. You'll find it after the jump!

We ended the year up by 6% compared to 2007. That's pretty damn good for a nineteen year old business in a down economy, I think!

Here is a list of the Top 100 best selling "Book" items for 2008. "Book" is sometimes oddly categorized, but this is how Diamond uses the term -- which is why, say, NEW LOVE & ROCKETS #1 is on this list, and not on the "comics" side.

"Books" were just over 51.5% of my gross sales

Item #1 is more than 300% of item #2.

Item #2 is more than 200% of item #25. Item #25 is just under 200% of item #100.

A list that was JUST "released for the first time in 2008" would look VERY different than this one, of course -- this shows you the power of backlist!

There are also more than a few books on this list which could have risen dramatically if only there was ANY source for them (DM or Bookstore market) for all 12 months of 2008.

1 WATCHMEN TP 2 Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 10 WHYS AND WHEREFORES 3 Y THE LAST MAN VOL 1 UNMANNED TP 4 Y THE LAST MAN VOL 2 CYCLES TP 5 WALKING DEAD TP VOL 08 MADE TO SUFFER 6 BUFFY SEASON 8 TP VOL 02 NO FUTURE FOR YOU 7 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER LONG WAY HOME TP 8 FABLES TP VOL 10 THE GOOD PRINCE 9 THE FART PARTY TP 10 Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 03 ONE SMALL STEP 11 LOVE & ROCKETS NEW STORIES #1 Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 05 RING OF TRUTH Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 09 MOTHERLAND 14 BOYS TP VOL 02 GET SOME Y THE LAST MAN VOL 4 SAFEWORD TP 16 FABLES TP VOL 11 WAR AND PIECES (MR) LOEG VOL ONE TP 18 BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL ED HC 19 JUDENHASS GN Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 07 PAPER DOLLS 21 DMZ TP VOL 04 FRIENDLY FIRE Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 06 GIRL ON GIRL Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 08 KIMONO DRAGONS 24 BATMAN DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP BLACK HOLE COLLECTED SC COMPLETE PERSEPOLIS TP DMZ TP VOL 05 THE HIDDEN WAR WARREN ELLIS AETHERIC MECHANICS GN (MR) 29 UMBRELLA ACADEMY APOCALYPSE SUITE TP 30 HELLBOY TP VOL 08 DARKNESS CALLS HELLBOY VOL 01 SEED OF DESTRUCTION TP POWERS VOL 11 SECRET IDENTITY TP SAM & MAX SURFIN HIGHWAY TP SANDMAN TP VOL 01 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES 35 ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY VOL 18 HC ASTONISHING X-MEN TP VOL 4 UNSTOPPABLE CRIMINAL TP VOL 03 DEAD AND DYING (MR) EX MACHINA TP VOL 07 EX CATHEDRA (MR) FABLES TP VOL 01 LEGENDS IN EXILE LOEG VOL TWO TP V FOR VENDETTA TP 42 ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY HC #19 (MR) BOYS TP VOL 01 CRIMINAL TP VOL 02 LAWLESS EX MACHINA VOL 6 POWER DOWN TP SHORTCOMINGS HC WALKING DEAD VOL 1 DAYS GONE BYE TP 48 SANDMAN TP VOL 02 THE DOLLS HOUSE 49 100 BULLETS TP VOL 12 DIRTY (MR) LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN THE BLACK DOSSIER HC SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 02 52 BATMAN YEAR ONE DELUXE SC BOYS TP VOL 03 GOOD FOR THE SOUL DC UNIVERSE THE STORIES OF ALAN MOORE DMZ TP VOL 03 PUBLIC WORKS PREACHER TP VOL 01 GONE TO TEXAS NEW EDITION 57 ALL STAR SUPERMAN TP VOL 01 BUFFY SEASON 8 TP VOL 03 WOLVES AT THE GATE FABLES TP VOL 02 ANIMAL FARM HELLBOY VOL 07 THE TROLL WITCH & OTHERS TP LAST MUSKETEER SC PREACHER TP VOL 02 UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD NEW EDITION WANTED GN (NEW PTG) WE 3 TP 65 ARKHAM ASYLUM ANNIVERSARY ED SC CASANOVA TP VOL 01 LUXURIA EX MACHINA TP VOL 01 THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS EX MACHINA TP VOL 02 TAG FABLES 1001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL SC FILTH TP PREACHER TP VOL 04 ANCIENT HISTORY NEW EDITION SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN VOL 1 TP SCOTT PILGRIM VOL 04 SCOTT PILGRIM GETS IT TOGETHER GN TOP 10 BOOK ONE TP 01 ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE TP 76 ALL STAR SUPERMAN HC VOL 01 CRIMINAL VOL 1 COWARD TP EX MACHINA TP VOL 03 FACT V FICTION FABLES VOL 9 SONS OF EMPIRE TP INVISIBLES TP #1 SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION VOL 01 (OF 7) PREACHER TP VOL 03 PROUD AMERICANS NEW EDITION 82 BATMAN AND SON TP BATMAN GRENDEL NEW PTG TP BERLIN TP BOOK 02 CITY OF SMOKE (MR) BPRD TP VOL 08 KILLING GROUND BPRD VOL 07 GARDEN OF SOULS TP FREAKANGELS TP VOL 01 (MR) HELLBOY VOL 02 WAKE THE DEVIL TP JOSS WHEDONS FRAY FUTURE SLAYER TP LOBSTER JOHNSON TP VOL 01 IRON PROMETHEUS NEW YORK FOUR PROMETHEA BOOK ONE TP VOL 01 WORLD WAR Z ORAL HISTORY OF ZOMBIE WAR SC 94 DARK TOWER GUNSLINGER BORN PREM HC DMZ TP VOL 02 BODY OF A JOURNALIST EX MACHINA TP VOL 04 MARCH TO WAR FABLES TP VOL 04 MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS HELLBOY VOL 04 RIGHT HAND OF DOOM TP JACK OF FABLES TP VOL 03 THE BAD PRINCE JEFFREY BROWN LITTLE THINGS SC MEMOIR IN SLICES PREACHER TP VOL 05 DIXIE FRIED NEW EDITION PRIDE OF BAGHDAD SC THE ARRIVAL GN WALKING DEAD VOL 07 THE CALM BEFORE TP

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Now, here's the same calculation sorted by dollars, instead, which changes some of the complexion of the list in fairly substantial ways. Suddenly you can see why $50+ HCs are being published!

1 WATCHMEN TP 2 Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 10 WHYS AND WHEREFORES 3 ABSOLUTE SANDMAN HC VOL 03 4 ABSOLUTE SANDMAN HC VOL 01 5 Y THE LAST MAN VOL 1 UNMANNED TP 6 FABLES TP VOL 10 THE GOOD PRINCE 7 COMPLETE PERSEPOLIS TP 8 BUFFY SEASON 8 TP VOL 02 NO FUTURE FOR YOU 9 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER LONG WAY HOME TP 10 BOYS TP VOL 02 GET SOME 11 WALKING DEAD TP VOL 08 MADE TO SUFFER 12 LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN THE BLACK DOSSIER HC 13 Y THE LAST MAN VOL 2 CYCLES TP 14 FABLES TP VOL 11 WAR AND PIECES (MR) 15 BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL ED HC 16 JACK KIRBYS FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS HC VOL 04 17 ABSOLUTE SANDMAN HC VOL 04 (MR) 18 THE FART PARTY TP 19 LOVE & ROCKETS NEW STORIES #1 Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 05 RING OF TRUTH Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 09 MOTHERLAND 22 SAM & MAX SURFIN HIGHWAY TP SANDMAN TP VOL 01 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES 24 HELLBOY TP VOL 08 DARKNESS CALLS POWERS VOL 11 SECRET IDENTITY TP 26 BLACK HOLE COLLECTED SC 27 ASTONISHING X-MEN TP VOL 4 UNSTOPPABLE V FOR VENDETTA TP 29 LOEG VOL ONE TP 30 UMBRELLA ACADEMY APOCALYPSE SUITE TP 31 Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 03 ONE SMALL STEP 32 SHORTCOMINGS HC 33 HELLBOY VOL 01 SEED OF DESTRUCTION TP 34 ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY VOL 18 HC 35 Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 07 PAPER DOLLS 36 ABSOLUTE DARK KNIGHT HC 37 STARMAN OMNIBUS HC VOL 01 38 SANDMAN TP VOL 02 THE DOLLS HOUSE 39 ABSOLUTE LOEG THE BLACK DOSSIER HC ABSOLUTE SANDMAN HC VOL 02 (JUN070259) (MR) 41 Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 08 KIMONO DRAGONS 42 Y THE LAST MAN VOL 4 SAFEWORD TP 43 BATMAN DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP 44 BOYS TP VOL 03 GOOD FOR THE SOUL DC UNIVERSE THE STORIES OF ALAN MOORE 46 SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 02 47 BOYS TP VOL 01 48 WANTED GN (NEW PTG) 49 DMZ TP VOL 04 FRIENDLY FIRE Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 06 GIRL ON GIRL 51 ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY HC #19 (MR) 52 COMIC BOOK TATTOO SC (C: 0-1-2) 53 LOEG VOL TWO TP 54 DARK TOWER GUNSLINGER BORN PREM HC 55 DMZ TP VOL 05 THE HIDDEN WAR 56 FILTH TP 57 ACME NOVELTY DATEBOOK VOL 2 HC 58 CRIMINAL TP VOL 02 LAWLESS 59 HELLBOY VOL 07 THE TROLL WITCH & OTHERS TP 60 LOST GIRLS DLX SLIPCASED ED CURR PTG WATCHMEN THE ABSOLUTE EDITION HC 62 HOWARD THE DUCK OMNIBUS 63 OMEGA THE UNKNOWN PREM HC 64 ALL STAR SUPERMAN HC VOL 01 INVISIBLES TP #1 SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION VOL 01 (OF 7) 66 GRENDEL GOD & THE DEVIL TP 67 ARKHAM ASYLUM ANNIVERSARY ED SC TOP 10 BOOK ONE TP 01 69 SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN VOL 1 TP 70 EX MACHINA TP VOL 07 EX CATHEDRA (MR) 71 KIRBY KING OF THE COMICS HC 72 FREAKANGELS TP VOL 01 (MR) 73 BONE ONE VOL ED SC 74 BATMAN GRENDEL NEW PTG TP BERLIN TP BOOK 02 CITY OF SMOKE (MR) JOSS WHEDONS FRAY FUTURE SLAYER TP 77 ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN THE BOY WONDER HC VOL 01 CIVIL WAR TP 79 EX MACHINA VOL 6 POWER DOWN TP 80 BUFFY SEASON 8 TP VOL 03 WOLVES AT THE GATE 81 FABLES VOL 9 SONS OF EMPIRE TP 82 BATMAN YEAR ONE DELUXE SC PREACHER TP VOL 01 GONE TO TEXAS NEW EDITION 84 POWERS VOL 1 WHO KILLED RETRO GIRL TP (NEW PTG) 85 CRIMINAL TP VOL 03 DEAD AND DYING (MR) 86 THE ARRIVAL GN 87 PREACHER TP VOL 02 UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD NEW EDITION 88 MAKING COMICS STORYTELLING SECRETS OF COMICS MANGA & GN SC 89 BPRD TP VOL 08 KILLING GROUND BPRD VOL 07 GARDEN OF SOULS TP HELLBOY VOL 02 WAKE THE DEVIL TP LOBSTER JOHNSON TP VOL 01 IRON PROMETHEUS 93 BLACK SUMMER TP (MR) ANGEL AFTER THE FALL HC 95 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 96 100 BULLETS TP VOL 12 DIRTY (MR) 97 JOKER HC 98 FABLES 1001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL SC PREACHER TP VOL 04 ANCIENT HISTORY NEW EDITION 100 BLANKETS GN (NEW PTG)

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Always willing to listen, if you have any thoughts on any of this!

-B